Hard time ahead for graduates - press

WITH THE economic crisis in full swing, around four out of ten new university graduates will not be able to find a job in Slovakia this year, Pravda reports.

"Students finishing university after studying the humanities, art, culture and tourism will have problems finding work," Monika Martinkova from the Trenkwalder personnel agency told the paper.

"The bad news for graduates is that companies are more likely to take on experienced employees in whom they won't have to invest. They're demanding more from people while also offering lower salaries than they did last year," Jiri Halbrstat from the Manpower agency said.

The article also lists the sectors offering the highest and lowest starting salaries to graduates. The top five are in information technology (€949 per month), the pharmaceutical sector (€917), the chemical industry (€908), the production and distribution of energy (€873), and accountancy and auditing (€866).

The worst five starting salaries are in teaching (€491 per month), non-profit making organisations (€505), solicitors' offices (€533), public administration (€536) and travel agencies (€562).